Seafood on Lamma

Dinner of May 21s t at Lamma Island- Buddha Day and also the birthday of two close friends. Generally speaking for the vast majority of Hong Kong Islanders, there is no such thing as "engaging in outdoor recreational activities". This dinner is a result of a 1 hour trek through a paved island-like town (think Lost meets South American Rainforest), a very polluted beach and slightly elevated mountain/hills. The scenery was beautiful but I was more concentrated on how to get rid of the swarming mosquitoes headed for my bare and exposed legs!

This Island according to some outside knowledge from my mom used to be a fishing town and thus, much of the food sources on this island focus on seafood. Which is exactly what dinner was, an abundance of protein sources without any form or.. almost no form of carbs minus beer.

And without further delay.. onto the food! As an apology beforehand, some of the first few dishes were taken after people picked at the plate hence the un- aesthetically pleasing (sp?)

1. Salt/pepper battered Calamari
2. Sweet and Sour Pork w. pineapple, and red and green peppers
3. Steamed Shrimp w. choice of soysauce, chilli oil, or red vinegar
4. Lobster Tail sautéed in a butter sauce with onions
5. Fish Fillets w. sugar snap peas, carrots and celery.
6. Various forms of mushroom and steamed broccoli
7. a hodge podge of fish parts w. green onions and scallions???
8. Roast Chicken w. Crispy Skin
9. Steamed GeoDuck with minced garlic and vermicelli
10. Black Pepper battered crab on a bed of lettuce

Food Commentary:
While Everything was extremely tasty after you are famished from walking for an hour, there are only a few dishes that stood out in this meal; the lobster tail, and steamed geoduck.

3. Steamed Lobster Tail sautéed in butter sauce with onions- Perhaps nostalgia plays a key in this comment but the lobster reminded me of the lobsters that I ate as a kid growing up on the east coast. Sweet, firm and tender meat- The butter sauce was a bit too heavy for my liking but provides a hearty addition to the sweet meat.

9. Steamed Geoduck- this addition to my food vocabulary is relatively new to me particularly because of its odd appearance. As a kid, I once regarded them as the giant clam with the elephant trunk nose… but now looking at them now.. they resemble something else… you can look them up if you are curious for its appearance.

Many can compare the texture similar to that of abalone, the more expensive choice. The best and most descriptive way to describe the texture of geoduck is a chewy almost rubber-like sweet solid….i would compare it to the conch but a bit less crunchy in texture. This restaurant in particular, steamed the geoduck, and cooked with garlic vermicelli. This is by far, my favorite dish of the night but I have a strong appreciation for the taste of geoduck and garlic and vermicelli what’s not to like? The garlic was a bit on the strong side, so perhaps only enjoyed for its full flavor if you are a garlic lover.

Cheers! and happy eating!